The Trout of the Great West 143 



Baird said to me: *' Why not call it Dolly Varden trout? " 

 And Dolly Varden trout it has remained to this day. 



As it appears in the rivers, the Dolly Varden is one of the 

 most beautiful of all trout. Dark steel-blue above, with 

 round spots of crimson on its sides and over its back, while 

 its fins are trimmed in front, as in chars generally, with 

 crimson and white. The Dolly Varden is found in the 

 McCloud and other tributaries of the Upper Sacramento. 

 It is more plentiful in the Upper Columbia, always in cold, 

 clear waters. It is still more abundant in all the shorewise 

 streams of Alaska and across the Aleutian Islands to the 

 coast of Kamchatka, and it is equally plentiful in northern 

 Japan. From Puget Sound northward it runs down to the 

 sea, where it loses its spots and becomes nearly plain silver- 

 gray. In Alaska it is called salmon trout; in Washington, 

 bull trout, but the name Dolly Varden can be used any- 

 where. 



Its size depends on its food. It may weigh, when mature, 

 anywhere from six ounces to twelve pounds. The little 

 ones are brightest in color. In the little brook which falls 

 into Captain's Harbor at Unalaska, are multitudes of bright 

 little Dolly Vardens, mature at six inches. In the harbor 

 below the falls are plenty of sea-run fishes of the same sort, 

 weighing ten pounds. In Kadiak the Dolly Varden is caught 

 in the seine by the ton and thrown away by the salmon 

 fishermen. 



The Dolly Varden is much more voracious than the true 

 trout. In the Alaska streams they devour millions of 

 salmon eggs, as well as young salmon. It is the greatest 

 enemy the salmon breeder finds. All trout feed on young 

 salmon, but this one is worst of all. It is gamy and vigor- 

 ous, takes the hook freely, with a fly, an insect, a salmon egg 

 or a scarlet petal from some mountain flower. 



It is a good food fish. All trout are that ; some perhaps 

 better, but I cannot see much choice. In Kamchatka the 

 Dolly Varden is baked in pies, " deep pies," like those sold 



